The Rule of Faith and the Scriptures

This is the final installment of this series on Apostolic Tradition. My main point concerning Apostolic Tradition is that the Apostles wrote some things down and delivered other things orally. The Bible would be the written down things, the inspired, authoritative Word of God. Apostolic Tradition would be the orally handed down things. The Apostles preached what Christ revealed to them “by declaring the gospel both vivâ voce, as the phrase is, and subsequently by their epistles.”* And what was it the Apostles declared and deposited in the Church vivâ voce or orally? The Rule of Faith, which I have traced from the early Rule of Faith to the Apostles’ Creed to the Nicene Creed.

“Now, with regard to this rule of faith it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth; that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen in diverse manners by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified, He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended into the heavens, He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself the Power of the Holy Spirit to lead such as believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resurrection of both these classes shall have happened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ.”*

What is the relationship between vivâ voce and epistles? That is between the Rule of Faith and the Scriptures? I believe the Rule of Faith is the template for understanding and interpreting the Scriptures.

Oh right away I hear outcries and objections: “The Bible is our rule for faith because it is the Word of God!” I agree, the Bible is the Word of God. But think for minute, when we have new converts and give them a Bible, what do we say? “This is the Word of God.” It is the Rule of Faith which teaches us this, I believe in the Holy Spirit…who spoke by the prophets. You can learn this by reading the Bible, but we begin with the Bible as the Word of God because of the Rule of Faith.

We know that people come away from their Bible study with all sorts of different interpretations. This has been true since the days of Origen (AD 184-253). But while there will always probably be some differences, the Rule of Faith keeps us on track. (By the way, this was what Origen said!) What do I mean?

What if I interpret the Scriptures to teach that the Son was the first and highest of God’s creation? The Rule of Faith sounds the alarm – NO!

What if I interpret the Scriptures to teach that both the resurrection of Jesus and of saints in the future is spiritual and not bodily? The Rule of Faith sounds the alarm – NO!

What if my study of the Scriptures results in me saying the Holy Spirit is merely a power and not a person? The Rule of Faith sounds the alarm – NO!

What if I preach, There is no future judgment; all go to heaven, there is no hell for unbelievers. The Rule of Faith sounds the alarm – NO!

The Rule of Faith is our template, our fence, our guardian against error. The Bible DOES NOT say or mean whatever you want it to say or mean. If your interpretation is contrary to the Rule of Faith, you are wrong. They work together: the Rule of Faith tells us the Bible is the Word of God; we read the Word of God to nourish our faith; the Rule of Faith keeps us from getting off course when reading the Word of God. Amen!

“One Lord God does she [the Church] acknowledge, the Creator of the universe, and Christ Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, the Son of God the Creator; and the Resurrection of the flesh; the law and the prophets she unites in one volume with the writings of evangelists and apostles, from which she drinks in her faith. This she seals with the water of baptism, arrays with the Holy Spirit, feeds with the Eucharist, cheers with martyrdom, and against such a discipline she admits no gainsayer.”*

“Your faith,’ He says, has saved you; not, observe, your skill in the Scriptures. 

Now, faith has been deposited in the rule; it has a law, and salvation.”*

*All quotes are from Tertullian, The Prescription Against Heretics